Floor-clamp.



W. B. MGCULLOUGH.'

FLOOR CLAMP.

APPLIOATIONHLED rms. 27, 190e.

PatentedNov. 3, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATE" FICE.

WILLIAM B. MCCULLOUGH, OF MONMOUTH, IOWA.

FLOOR-CLALTP.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Serial No. 418,138.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. MCCUL- LOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monmouth, in the county of Jackson and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Floor-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to iioor clamps for use by carpenters in assembling flooring upon joists.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and inexpensive device of this character which can be readily placed in position and which will efectually operate to force the Aliooring boards together.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure l is an elevation of the device, the same being shown applied to a joist and to iiooring. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the clamp. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing a modified construction. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the modiiied form of clamp.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates a lever of any desired length and formed of iron or other suitable material and extending laterally from one end of this lever is a prong 2 which is pointed so that it can be readily driven into a oist A so as to constitute the fulcrum of the lever. The other end of the lever may be rounded as indicated at 3 to constitute a handle. The device is designed to be used for forcing together matched boards constituting a floor. After several of the boards have been placed together upon a joist and as has been indicated at B in Fig. l the prong 2 is driven into one side of a joist at a point below the end board B and the lever 1 is then swung with 45 the prong 2 as a center until it is brought into contact with the boards B and obviously by pushing it against these boards they will be pressed firmly together and can then be secured in any desired manner.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a modified structure has been disclosed wherein the lever 7 is mounted at one end upon a stud 5 extending laterally from a link 4, said link being provided at its free end with a prong 6.

In using this device the prong 6 is driven into the lioist and is so positioned that the stud end of the lever will be located below one of the boards constituting the ioor. The lever? can then be swung with the stud 5 and prong 6 as fulerums and will operate to push the boards together as will be clearly apparent by referring to Fig. 2. This modified construction is advantageous because the prong 6 can be driven into the joist without the necessity of reaching under the flooring` as with the construction shown in F ig. l.

It will be seen that the device is-very simple, durable, and eiiicient7 can be readily placed in or removed from operative position, and will operate to firmly bind the boards together until the same can be fastened in any preferred manner.

What is claimed is:

A floor clamp comprising a lever having a handle at one end, a link pivotally connected to the other end portion of the lever and arranged upon one side of the lever, and a laterally extending prong at one end of the link, said prong and the lever being disposed upon opposite faces of the link.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto amxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. MGCULLOUGH.

Wvitnesses:

GEO. E. DUNLAP, H. O BUTTERWORTH 

